Pasta Perfection

Italy’s north-western region Liguria is famous for its pasta with pesto. This recipe stays true to the traditional Ligurian way of making pesto by thickening the pesto’s consistency with the addition of boiled potatoes and green beans. See the recipe for Linguine with Pesto »

The freshest vegetables of the season are the secret to infusing this Italian classic with color and flavor.

While visiting the little seaside town of Trinidad, California, we found our way to Katy’s Smokehouse and Fish Market, a treasure trove of smoked seafood and local fish. One of Katy’s top sellers is the hot-smoked salmon, which inspired us to create this dish. See the recipe for Penne with Smoked Salmon »

We like to serve this pasta topped with a little shaved bottarga, the dried salted roe of tuna or gray mullet; a sprinkle adds a briny, salty note that beautifully offsets sweet, oven roasted plum tomatoes. Get the recipe for Spaghetti with Oven-Roasted Tomatoes and Caramelized Fennel »

We got this satisfying pasta dish from Justin Smillie, the chef at Smith’s, a restaurant in New York City. For the chunky, woodsy-tasting sauce, he braises artichoke hearts with chicken, dried porcini mushrooms, and fresh tarragon. See the recipe for Fettuccine with Artichokes and Chicken »

Based on a dish served at Birrificio Italiano, a brewery and restaurant in Italy’s Lombardy region, this puttanesca-style pasta sauce is enriched with Bibock, the brewery’s bock-style beer.

Helen Rosner